Umbrellas and similar articles are normally held in one hand by placing the handle against the palm and wrapping the fingers and thumb around the handle. This grasping action, which is necessary to hold such an article upright in a position of use, completely occupies the fingers and thumb of the hand being used for this purpose to the exclusion of any other activity, such as writing and handling keys, mail, or other articles.
In the particular case of umbrellas it is often desirable to be able to use both hands to accomplish a task while simultaneously holding the umbrella above one's head to provide shelter from rain. One example of such a task is the sorting of mail by letter carriers while on their rounds. It is extremely difficult to both hold an umbrella and handle letters and packages so that both the letter carrier and the mail remain sheltered from the rain. In addition, anyone who has attempted to juggle packages, keys and an umbrella while attempting to open a car door, will appreciate the difficulty inherent in such activities when it is raining.
Other attempts to provide support for an umbrella while freeing the hands have been cumbersome, impractical or ineffective. In this regard, the umbrella handle attachment of U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,259, Beehler, is noted. This device comprises a removable, self-adjusting strap which slides onto an umbrella handle so as to provide a binding element for the user's hand which fits between the strap and the umbrella handle. However, the flexible nature of the strap together with its two point attachment only at its ends, allows the strap to "give" such that the umbrella can wobble or pivot about the hand. Only by maintaining two or more fingers curled around the handle in the normal manner can the umbrella be securely held and prevented from swaying relative to the user's hand.
Other devices have been suggested which are in the nature of clamps to secure an umbrella to a person's arms or shoulders, or to an object being carried or pulled by the user, such as a letter carrier's mail bag or cart. All of these devices have significant drawbacks including excessive complexity, difficulty in use, incomplete umbrella coverage, and the like.